Wedge cutting machine



B. V. GILMORE WEDGE CUTTING MACHINE' Sept. l5, 193.6.

' afm/@aww Sept. 15., 1936. Y Bl V G|| MORE 2,054,218

WEDGE CUTTING MACHINE UFiled oct. 15,4 1954 2 sheets-sheet 2 Z0 ZZ 47 l I l l l 24/ i g '45 d Il4 '25 i 57 Za Patented Sept. 15, 1936 PATENT OFFICE WEDGE CUTTING MACHINE Y Benjamin V. Gilmore, Seth, W. Va., ass'ignor to Frick Company, Waynesboro, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application October 15, 1934, Serial No. 748,400

Claims'.

This invention relates to cutting or sawing apparatus, and particularly to a machine for sawing Wedges such as are used in Wedging timber for mines and other purposes.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved machine of this character which is safe and easy to operate, and which has a. large capacity or output. y

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of this character which is adapted to handle material of different sizes and cut the saine into blocks or Wedges of any desired thickness and taper.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved machine of this character which comprises a movable carriage or the like for supporting the work piece, said carriage being provided with clamping means adapted to hold blocks or work pieces of varying `dimensions and even of non-uniform cross-section.

A further object of the invention is to provide a reciprocable carriage for supporting the Work piece in a machine of this character,- said carriage having a handle for manually shifting the carriage, the handle being also arranged to clamp the work piece to the carriage.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description of the embodiment thereof shown in the accompanying drawings wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a Wedge-cutting machine embodying the invention;

Fig'. 2, a plan View of the saw, gauge and reciproc'able carriage shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3, a sectional view to an enlarged scale taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4, a detail view to an enlarged scale of the work-clamping device on the carriage; and

Fig. 5,l a detail sectional view taken on the line 54-5 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, the Wedge-cutting machine illustrated comprises a vertically disposed rotary saw I0 suitably mounted in a frame or table comprising the vertical frame members 45 and I2 and-cross frame members I3, |4 and I 5. The frame may be constructed of angle irons and bars welded or riveted together as shown but the details of the frame construction form no part of the present invention. The saw I0 is carried by a mandrel I6, preferably mounted in ball bearings secured to the cross frame members I4. A pulley (not shown) may be mounted upon the outer end of the mandrel I6 as is customary in rotary saws.

The present machine is designed for the purpose of cutting wedges or prismatic blocks of any desired taper and thickness from wooden slabs, although certain features of the invention may be adapted for other purposes. In its preferred form, the machine comprises a vertically disposed reciprocable carriage I8 which is carried by two parallel guide bars or shafts I9 extending parallel to the'saw I0, which are in turn supported by horizontal brackets 2|) onthe vertical frame members Il and I2. The carriage I8 consists of a vertical frame member 2| and horizontal extensions or sleeves 22 adapted to encircle the guide bars I9. 'I'he extensions 22 are provided with perforated lugs 23 which may be welded thereto. An adjustable frame member or bar 24 is adapted to form the left-hand side of the carriage as shown in Fig. 1, the member 24 being bolted to the lugs 23. The memberV 24 may be provided with knurled clamping heads 25 adapted to engage the work piece. It will be apparent that by clamping the member 24 in different positions upon the lugs 23, the carriage is adapted to handle slabs or blocks of different. thicknesses.

The frame member 2|, as shown more clearly in Figs. 4 and 5, is providedwith reciprocable clamping heads 26 adapted to be moved to engage the Work piece and securely hold the same in the carriage I8. A cross-bar 21 connects the rear ends of the kclamping heads 26,V the heads being shown as bolted to said cross-bar. Resilient means such as the coiled springs `28.are provided for retracting the clamping heads 26.

In order to control the clamping heads 23, a lever 30 pivoted at 3| to the carriage is provided. The lever 3U is arranged to engage the cross-bar 21 whereby when the lever is rocked on the pivot 3|, the clamping heads 26 are projected to engage the work and clamp the same against the opposite knurled heads 25. For the purposes of illustration, the cross-bar 21 is' shown as provided with a pin 32 adapted .to b'e engaged by a cam portion 33 of the clamping lever 3|). The clamping'lever 30 is .further provided with anY outwardly Y 45 parent that byadjusting the gauge bar 41 with the clamping device on account of the yielding or self-aligning function of the latter clamping heads. The force of the clamping lever 30 being transmitted through the pin 32 the member 21 is free to assume an inclined position when a slab of irregular shape is encountered.

The clamping lever 30 serves the dual purpose of controllingy the clampingof the work piece and the shifting of the carriage in relation to the saw IU to cut the wedge. The operator standing alongside of the saw I0 inserts block or slab, indicated in dotted lines by the reference numeral 36 in Fig. 3, in the carriage I8 with theV bottom thereof resting upon the table 31. With his right hand the operator grasps the extension 34 of the clamping lever 30 and depresses the same toV clamp the work-piece firmly in the carriage. Y'Then by pulling upon the handle 34, the operator moves the carriage I8 and the workpiece'to the left as shown in Fig. l, thereby cutting the Wedge.

The movement ofthe carriage is'limited by the coil spring 40 on the upper guide I9. The spring leg members or brackets 45. The position 'of the gauge frame 44 in respect'to the plane of the saw l0 may be adjusted by loosening the clamping bolts 46 by which said frame' is secured tothe cross member I4 of the saw frame.

In order to permit adjustment of the taper of the wedges cut by the saw, a gauge bar 41 is adjustably supported upon the vertical legs of the gaugeV frame 44. As shown the gauge bar 41 'is provided with two slotted ears 48 which maybe adjustably clamped to the gauge frame 44 by means of the clamping bolts 49. It will be aprespect to the forward edge of the gauge frame 44, the taper of the wedges may be altered. The

gauge bar 41 is disposed midway between the upper and lower crossmembers ofthe frame 44 so that the Vwedgemay be cut alternately from the top and bottom of the work piece or slabrwithoutv aiiecting theA taper of the wedge being cut. `Furthermore while the adjustments for the thickness and 'taper of the wedge are combined in or-Z der to simplify the construction, each of said adjustments is entirely independent insofar as the shape or dimensions of the wedge are concerned.

It will be apparent that the machine described has many desirable characteristicsv including simplicity, ease of operation and adjustment, and safety. The operator is in iront of the table and not inline with the saw, and in handling the blocks or slabs in cutting the wedges the operator is at al1 times away from the saw. In insertingA the work-piece in the carriage, it is unnecessary for the hand or any part of the person of the operator to be brought in line with the edge of the saw and after the work-piece is clamped on the carriage, the hand of the operator may be removed from the block which is securely held Y between the clamping heads.

While the preferred form of the invention comprises a vertically disposed saw and a reciprocable carriage moving parallel to the plane of the saw, it will be apparent that the relation oi .the saw to the carriage as wellas the vertical mounting of the saw may be varied if desired. Furthermore the details of construction may be widely variedrfrom those shown Without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claimz- 1. A Wedge-cutting machine comprising a' saw,

- a reciprocable carriage having independently adjustable clamping members thereon and a clamping lever pivoted to said carriage and having a portion serving as a handle for reciprocating the carriage, said clamping lever having a cam por-Y tion or lug for operating` bothr of said clamping members.

2. A wedge-cutting machine comprisingV a saw, a reciprocable carriage in front of the saw; a gauge frame movable axially of the saw and disposed opposite'said carriage when in its retracted position and a central gauge bar adjustably supported on said gauge frame. Y Y

3. A wedge-cutting machine comprising a saw, a reciprocable carriage for supporting the work piece in relation to the saw, a rectangular gauge frame disposed opposite the carriage when the same is withdrawn from the saw, and an adjustable cross bar on said gauge frame arranged to form with the edges of said frame a gauge for determining the taper of the wedge to be cut from said work-piece. Y

4. In a machine of the type described, a saw and a manually reciprocable carriage for presenting work pieces to the saw, work-clamping members independently arid resiliently mounted in spaced relation on said carriage, a manually operable cam lever operatively associated .with said clamp members for moving the same into gripping position, said clamp members being urged to retracted position upon'release of said cam lever due to the resilient mounting thereof. i

5. In a machine'of the type specified, a saw and a manually operable carriage for ypresenting Work pieces to the saw, work-clamping members resiliently and independently` mounted for reciprocation toward and from a work piece, means connecting said clamp members, a manually actuable cam lever arranged to act on said connecting means for moving the clamping members into clamping-position, said connecting means having iloating connections at opposite ends thereof-with said clamping members to permit the clamp members to assurnepositions conforming to an irregular piece of work. Y v

BENJAMIN v..G1LMoRE. 

